Clinical assessment team scoops Trust’s top award

Staff from the Clinical Assessment Unit at Rochdale Infirmary receive the Frontline Team of the Year Award from Sally Gunnell and Chris Hamer of Vinci Construction UK Ltd.

Staff from the new Clinical Assessment Unit (CAU) at Rochdale Infirmary have scooped the Frontline Team of the Year Award at Pennine Acute Trust’s second annual staff awards event.

The Staff Awards 2011, consisted of 12 categories which recognised the very best of patient care, dedication and innovation across the Trust’s five hospital sites and its 10,000 staff.

At a special final awards ceremony at Manchester City Stadium, Sally Gunnell OBE, former British Olympic athlete turned television presenter and sports commentator, announced that Rochdale’s Clinical Assessment Unit staff had won the award.

Sister Lou Harkness-Hudson, clinical nurse lead at the CAU, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to bits that the team has won this award. It is an amazing achievement for a new unit to win such a fantastic award.

“We have had some wonderful feedback about the CAU from staff and patients alike which is great to hear. Patients have said that they have found staff to be kind and friendly and felt as though they were receiving one-to-one care.

“I work with a great team and I’ve had a fantastic evening celebrating with them.”

The team was praised for having successfully developed the new Clinical Assessment Unit, which has meant that patients who would previously have had to wait in accident and emergency are now seen faster and have rapid access to diagnostic services.

Opened in April 2011, the new short-stay 12 bed unit (with six trolleys) provides rapid patient assessment and treats patients who have been referred directly from their local GP, from the community, or come via the new Urgent Care Centre. Patients are assessed, observed and treated on the CAU usually up to a maximum of 48 hours.

Presenting the award, Sally Gunnell OBE said: “It is a real honour to have been asked to be part of Pennine Acute Trust’s staff awards this year. It has been a fantastic event, enjoyed by everyone. It is an opportunity to thank those staff that go the extra mile and have shown strong leadership, innovation, can do attitude and exemplary patient care.”

Roger Pickering, director of human resources at The Pennine Acute Trust, said: “Building on the success of last year, the awards is a key part of the Trust celebrating success and recognising best practice across all sites and departments.”

The event was fully paid for and supported by a number of sponsors including: Vinci Construction Ltd; NG Bailey; Weightmans; Securitas; Oldham College; Philips; G2 Speech; CACI and iSOFT.

The award for frontline team of the year was sponsored by Vinci Construction UK.